JJ Samuel A Soriano, Philippines

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President and CEO, Philippine Resource Organization on Japanese Enterprise Capital & Technology (PROJECT Corporation)
Public Policy Program (’86/’88)

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What is your area of specialization and how did you come to work in this area?

I am a businessman and entrepreneur. Having studied in Japan under the GSPS program, I learned the big impact of small and medium sized companies in the economic growth and development of Japan and so I decided to focus my efforts on building businesses and enterprises to help in the Philippine economic growth.

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It seems your career has taken some interesting turns since you graduated from GRIPS/GSPS. Can you please tell us a bit more about your entrepreneurial activities in the past two decades?

I started the Philippine Resource Organization on Japanese Enterprise, Capital, and Technology (PROJECT) soon after I graduated from GSPS with the primary focus on promoting more meaningful and significant businesses and investments from Japan to the Philippines and between Japanese and Filipinos. I have had twenty years of experience in this and have been able to modestly contribute to the development of Philippine Japan relations.

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What are some of the biggest challenges you face in your work and what has been the most rewarding aspect of your career thus far?

From 1986 to the present, promoting more business investments from abroad has been a challenge due to the many man-made and natural obstacles that we have encountered in the Philippines. In the period of 1986-1992 we were under democratic reforms and had many attempted military coup d’etats, in the 1990’s we had a big earthquake and a huge volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo and in addition we had an energy crisis with the electric power shortage during the later part of the Aquino administration and the early part of the Ramos administration. In the late 1990’s we had another political problem with the Estrada administration. Now the economy had improved but more political reforms are needed.

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Being able to overcome these obstacles and still be able to set-up businesses together with Japanese and other international investors despite all these challenges have been very rewarding.

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My two decades of doing this had expanded my network of friends and business associates not only in Japan and the Philippines but in the rest of Asia and the world as well.

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You have engaged in a variety of businesses and activities. Please name some of the highlights in your career, and achievement(s) you are most proud of?

I am grateful that PROJECT has been around for twenty years now and through my activities I have been able to modestly contribute to the development of the Philippines and the strengthening of Philippine-Japan relations.

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How has your experience at GRIPS/GSPS helped you in your career? What was the most important thing you learned while here?

In addition to my answer to your first question above, the professors in GRIPS and GSPS have also been very helpful in establishing linkages with various Japanese companies and government agencies. As I mentioned, I learned how important the business sector is in the Japanese society. Having classmates in GSPS/GRIPS from other countries is also a big help in expanding our reach across different nations.

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If you could choose another profession to be in, what would it be?

I would still want to be a businessman and entrepreneur.

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What is your fondest memory of your time spent at GRIPS/GSPS?

I consider Japan as my second home. In fact, as a married couple, Japan was the first home that my wife, Minette, and I had. We cherish those years that we lived in Japan. Our eldest daughter is named Michiko.

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What do you miss about Japan?

Simply living in Japan is something that I miss. I enjoy my business trips to Japan and whenever we can, our family likes to take vacations there.

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What is your favorite thing to do when you are not working?

Watch movies, play golf and tennis…

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You must be a busy man. How do you maintain a balance between your work and the rest of your life?

I do not separate work from the rest of my life… a commitment to live a full life means that everything you do is part of a well-balanced mix of activities, tasks, responsibilities and duties that you carry out with love, sincerity, joy, and patience…

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What advice would you give to current GRIPS students?

Live every moment in Japan to the fullest… you can learn both inside and outside the classroom… listen and look with your hearts and minds…